Plethora Ministries: January 2006

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

WORD WEEK 01-15-06 RELEASE YOUR BAGGAGE Part 2

HAPPY NEW YEAR

WORD WEEK 01-15-06

RELEASE YOUR BAGGAGE PART II

EZEKIEL 12:7 KJV

And I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my baggage by day, as a captive's baggage, and in the even I digged through the wall with my hand; I brought it forth in the dark, and bore it upon my shoulder, in their sight.

The reflection of the previous week addressed the issue of the ownership, identification, and claiming of one's own baggage [Part 1]. In continuation of the same theme, this week's reflection will address the Release Your Baggage [Part 11].

A summary of the previous reflection is as follows: The year 2006 is already upon us and our sense of destination is a critical part of what it means to be alive, whole, and human! Christians around the world celebrated the season of Advent just shy of a month ago. During that time, we witnessed the journey of life and death which The Holy Family were required embrace; a journey fraught with excitement and anticipation; expectation and anxiety; approach and avoidance; hope and fear as well as a plethora of human emotions from which we draw inspiration and meaning presently and in millennia to come.

Moreover, we learned that The Holy Family packed only that which was essential and were required to leave behind both the comfort and familiarity of loved ones, family, friends, community, safety, and treasured material possessions that had helped to render meaning to their existence. In essence, they had to relinquish familiarity and embrace that which was clandestine, except to the sovereignty of GOD!

Significantly, There are four ways in which we carry baggage: 1] Physically; 2] Emotionally; 3] Psychologically; 4] Spiritually. Sometimes, when one travels, there are instances in which the transport of baggage is essential. At other times, no transport of baggage might be required at all.

Nevertheless, far too often, too many of GOD'S people have become increasingly acclimated to carrying baggage, that they are no longer cognizant that they are carrying baggage as this baggage has become a critical aspect of their self-definition as well as their worldview. Consequently, they are no longer aware of the degree to which the weight of that baggage weighs down their hope, healing, transformation, happiness, insight, empowerment, development, joy, peace, deliverance, and impedes their ability to meaningfully connect to others.

As the events unfold in the Narrative of Ezekiel 12:7, The LORD rendered guidance to Ezekiel who had witnessed the moral decay and the psychospiritual erosion of GOD'S people. Circumstances had become so pandemic in Jerusalem that it would not be long before GOD'S people would eat their food in anxiety and drink their water in despair, for their land would be stripped of everything in it because of the violence of all who lived there [All of which we are doing at the present time]. The inhabited towns were destined to become a wasteland. Suffering was on the agenda. Only then would humanity would come to reckon with the sovereignty of the LORD. Consequently, Ezekiel's actions functioned as a metaphor to Zedekiah's flight from the city commensurate with its conquering by the Chaldeans.

As many of us allow ourselves to be present to this reality, we hear the swift winter winds sing of the imminence of difficult times and divine danger in the air. Already in the year 2006, we have witnessed pandemic suffering in the infancy of the month of January! Have Mercy Upon Your People, Gracious LORD!

We learned that the embrace of "TRUTH" is available to all who are amenable to hear. What might we do if we had to dislodge of such baggage? Who would we be? Where would we go? How would we face ourselves, not only in our mourning, but in the morning as well as throughout the day many of GOD'S people muse? Importantly, we do not know quite where to begin, much less fathom or integrate the coexistence of "LOVE" and "TRUTH" of this caliber as we are invited to embrace a deeper awareness that no one has ever loved us like GOD does!

Nevertheless, the PEOPLE of GOD must reckon with their baggage! Carrying baggage might represent a myriad of challenges and invites for GOD'S PEOPLE: For some, carrying baggage might represent a lineage of strong family ties, tradition, a regal blood line, or a lucrative inheritance; for others, carrying baggage might represent status quo, a rote existence, or one's acceptance into the circle of the elite; still for others, carrying baggage might represent the desire to remain connected to a relationship that is unhealthy and unproductive, a friendship that is barren, but perfunctory, a self-concept that perpetuates the illusion of self-importance as it has become confused about the owner of such unclaimed and displaced baggage; even still for others, carrying baggage might represent one's investment in rejection, depression, loneliness, failure, shame, co-dependence, anger, grief, guilt, self-entitlement, and placing others on probation to vindicate and/or ameliorate one's own woundedness.

In essence, there are far too many of GOD'S people are in the baggage carrying business! Becoming cognizant of our baggage is like that of going to the Baggage Claim Department in the Airport. As each of us stands around the conveyor belt, we look for the baggage that has our names. Ironically, have you ever been in an airport and observed someone grabbing the baggage of someone else? Have you ever been in an airport and not notice your own baggage and believing it to be the baggage of another, dismiss your own baggage?

Consequently, For some persons, a trip to Baggage Claim this time of year will bring the unexpected closeness and love of family and friends and security, yet for other persons, this same trip to Baggage Claim will heighten the lack of closeness, potentially fuel exclusion, recapitulate loss, and deflate hope. Nevertheless, Beloved of God, you must claim your baggage as the failure to do so will result in a cosmic threat on either your life or the quality of your life!

In order to claim our baggage we must learn to identify the kinds of baggage that we carry. In order to release our baggage we must own and name such baggage first. Now appears the time to pose a question: How or why would one release what he/she believes in not there? The four types of baggage are as follows: 1] Emotional; 2] Physical; 3] Psychological; 4] Spiritual.

Emotional Baggage

Emotional Baggage consists of those things that we feel. It is the full range of what we call in the field of Psychology: Affect! It is something that appears virtually inescapable by any human being, yet has the potential to be healed with care, insight, attention, safety, and the presence of The Holy Spirit. The opportunity to be a servant of the LORD has afforded me myriad opportunities to visit the sacred ground of men, women, and children who are hurt; deeply hurt; some even beyond there own recognition. Emotional Baggage may disguise itself as bravado or overconfidence. Emotional Baggage may produce a malignant distrust of those who are benevolent. Emotional Baggage may cause many persons to shut themselves off from genuine love. Emotional Baggage may cause others to be on the fast track to achieve euphoric frenzy; Emotional Baggage may cause still others to neglect the painful truth of acknowledging and doing something about their own woundedness. Emotional Baggage may cause even others to be defended and consequently push away those persons/things that they desire the greatest level of intimacy. In essence, Emotional Baggage is invested in the art of sabotage, isolations, despair, and stagnation!

Physical Baggage

Physical Baggage affects our body. The transport of baggage of this caliber may cause insomnia, inconsistent and poor eating habits, and low energy level. Moreover, Physical Baggage may manifest itself in destructive behaviors that one does to his/her body. Physical Baggage, oftentimes, may cause one to experience lethargy when awake and insomnia when sleep is required. Physical Baggage may contribute to an increase in the desire to consume excessive sugar, carbohydrates, alcohol, and tobacco. In essence, far too many of GOD'S people attempt to apply temporary fixes to alleviate the strain of Physical Baggage as it appears to quiet the baggage of the Emotional, Psychological, and Spiritual when the physical self is under duress.

Psychological Baggage

Psychological Baggage is a mind construct that affects the way one sees himself/herself, others, and the world. In essence, it is the schema or the mantra by which one lives and it has a conscious and/or an unconscious commitment to keep in place its attempt to avoid emotional and what is believed as intolerable pain. Moreover, it is argued by scientists that the largest organ of the human body is the brain. Yet, ironically, far too often, even among spiritual persons, it is the one that receives the least of much needed exercise. Psychological Baggage makes it increasing difficult for one to forget hurt, blame, shame, guilt, and suffering to the degree that recapitulation of previous hurtful events causes one to relieve trauma associated with suffering. Moreover, Psychological Baggage may cause one to place another on probation, thereby, renting space in the head of him/her who is functioning as the Gatekeeper of the Probation Office.

Spiritual Baggage

Spiritual Baggage embodies the emotional, psychological, and physical domains. In many instances, it functions as the life force, glue, water of life, and manna from heaven, from which the enlightened draws strength, insight, hope, connectedness, and immortality verses extinction. When one's spirituality is out of sync and becomes that of Spiritual Baggage, a catharsis is often warranted and healing unquestionably essential. Spiritual Baggage encompasses our "is-ness;" i.e., our being and is intrinsically linked to the heart of GOD.

The Release of Your Baggage

As we approach the counter of the Baggage Claim Department in GOD'S AIRPORT, let us do so with a greater degree of reverence and intimacy to GOD as we are compelled by our potential under the light of the brilliance of the CHRIST, convicted by "TRUTH" for the baggage to which we have tenaciously cleaved, and enraptured in the presence of GOD'S healing love!

In order to Release Our Baggage: We must be willing to Let Go! We must be willing to Heal! We must be open to Self-examination! We must be committed to the act Attitude, Action, and Altitude, which equals CHANGE! We must be willing to Forgive! We must be will to embrace

all of the facets of LOVE that exceeds the acquisition of getting what we want, but giving all that we have instead!

The Release of baggage is the Reaffirmation and Empowerment of GOD'S Love that Empathetically Alleviates Suffering Eternally!

Reaffirmation

Empowerment

Love

Empathetically

Alleviates

Suffering

Eternally

In essence, the presence of light and truth not only exposes us to our baggage, but to GOD'S love, mercy, and grace which sustains us while we heal from the weight of carrying such baggage!

As we enter the Baggage Claim Line we hear the following:"Welcome to the Baggage Claim Department Sir/Madam: Your name is____________________? My name is JESUS and I will be assisting you with the alleviation of your baggage with the accompaniment of My FATHER and The HOLY SPIRIT! Your baggage is safe with me and will never weigh you down again when you entrust it to me!"

K. Mason
(c) 2005

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K.Mason

WORD WEEK 01-06-06 CLAIM YOUR BAGGAGE Part 1

HAPPY NEW YEAR

WORD WEEK 01-08-06

CLAIM YOUR BAGGAGE PART I

EZEKIEL 12:7 KJV

The gifts have been opened, the tree trimmings have been removed, the splendor and radiance of sparkling lights have gone on sabbatical until Advent 2006, the New Year is now in full swing, and many of GOD'S people have already implemented travel plans for the season of Spring and Summer. Whether one's destination is near or far, travel ignites a sense of excitement and anticipation; expectation and anxiety; immediacy and delay. Whether one travels by foot, automobile, train, ship, bus, or an airplane, the one feature that travel has in common in all six modalities is the necessity of packing; i.e., the transport of baggage.

One month ago, Christians around the world were witnesses to the season of Advent. During that time, we were witnesses to the journey of life and death which the Betrothed Virgin, The Wise Old Man, and, significantly, the Christ-Child were required embrace. The journey that they were required to take consisted of excitement and anticipation; expectation and anxiety; approach and avoidance; hope and fear as well as a plethora of human emotions from which we draw inspiration and meaning today now and millennia to come. Significantly, we learned that The Holy Family packed only that which was essential and were required to leave behind both the comfort and familiarity of loved ones, family, friends, community, safety, and treasured material possessions that had helped to render meaning to their existence. In essence, they had to relinquish familiarity and embrace that which was clandestine, except to the heart, soul and mind of GOD!

In essence, The Holy Family were required to travel, for in doing so, they were destined to deal with the issue of carrying baggage. Importantly, There are four ways in which we carry baggage: 1] Physically; 2] Emotionally; 3] Psychologically; 4] Spiritually. Sometimes, When one travels, there are instances in which the transport of baggage is essential. At other times, no transport of baggage might be required at all. Nevertheless, far too often, many of GOD'S people have become increasingly acclimated to carrying baggage, that they are no longer cognizant that they are carrying baggage as this baggage has become a critical aspect of their self-definition as well as their worldview. Consequently, they are no longer aware of the degree to which the weight of that baggage weighs down their hope, healing, transformation, happiness, insight, empowerment, development, joy, peace, deliverance, and impedes their ability to meaningfully connect to others.

As the events unfold in the Narrative of Ezekiel 12:7, The LORD rendered spiritual direction to Ezekiel who has witnessed the narcissism of GOD'S people. Circumstances had become so horrific in Jerusalem that it would not be long before GOD'S people would eat their food in anxiety and drink their water in despair, for their land would be stripped of everything in it because of the violence of all who lived there. The inhabited towns would be laid to waste and the land would become desolate. It would not be until such a time that humanity would come to know and reckon with the sovereignty of the LORD. Consequently, Ezekiel's actions would function as sign/metaphor to set forth Zedekiah's flight out of the city when the Chaldeans took the city. The text reads as follows:

1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people. 3 "Therefore, son of man, pack your belongings for exile and in the daytime, as they watch, set out and go from where you are to another place. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house. 4 During the daytime, while they watch, bring out your belongings packed for exile. Then in the evening, while they are watching, go out like those who go into exile. 5 While they watch, dig through the wall and take your belongings out through it. 6 Put them on your shoulder as they are watching and carry them out at dusk. Cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have made you a sign to the house of Israel."

The LORD petitioned Ezekiel to pack his belonging for exile by day as others watched and during the evening to go out like those in exile; i.e., cover his face so that he could not see the land. The logos of GOD was in fulfillment phase at this time and Ezekiel's actions; i.e., that of packing his baggage and leaving in the manner and at the times aforementioned were designed to get the attention of GOD'S people who no longer viewed their self-preoccupation and extreme self-indulgence as a form of baggage carrying. As many of us allow ourselves to be present to this reality, we can still hear the swift winter winds sing of the presence of difficult times and divine danger in the air. Already in the year 2006, we have been witnesses to pandemic suffering in the divine infancy of the month of January! Help us GOD!

Moreover, what is so compelling about baggage carrying is that God requires that we carry it out into the opening before we move to action and to a place that we might obtain relief. GOD requires both our attention and surrender in this endeavor. Ezekiel states:

Significantly, while unquenchable anticipation and unrestrained hope have now come to cosmically divine fruition, the embrace of "TRUTH" has become available to him/her who are amenable to hear. What might we do if we had to dislodge of such baggage? Who would we be? Where would we go? How would we face ourselves, not only in our mourning, but in the morning as well as throughout the day many of GOD'S people muse? Importantly, we do not know quite where to begin, much less fathom or integrate the coexistence of "LOVE" and "TRUTH" of this caliber as we are invited to embrace a deeper awareness that no one has ever loved us like GOD does! Moreover, while the marriage and the manifestation of prophetic fulfillment and the eschatological incarnation has embodied itself in the presence of the Christ, "REASON" evades our consciousness and our grasp as the boundary of GOD'S LOVE knows no depth, no height, no breath, nor scope for which "anything that was," "anything that is," and "anything that shall be" can elude its presence.

Reluctantly, the PEOPLE of GOD must reckon with their baggage! Carrying baggage might represent a myriad of challenges and invites for GOD'S PEOPLE: For some, carrying baggage might represent a lineage of strong family ties, tradition, a regal blood line, or a lucrative inheritance; for others, carrying baggage might represent status quo, a rote existence, or one's acceptance into the circle of the elite; still for others, carrying baggage might represent the desire to remain connected to a relationship that is unhealthy and unproductive, a friendship that is barren, but perfunctory, a self-concept that perpetuates the illusion of self-importance as it has become confused about the owner of such unclaimed and displaced baggage; even still for others, carrying baggage might represent one's marriage to rejection, depression, loneliness, failure, shame, co-dependence, anger, grief, guilt, self-entitlement, and placing others on probation to vindicate and/or ameliorate one's own woundedness.

In essence, there are far too many of GOD'S people are in the baggage carrying business! Far to many of those of the faithful community have no movement in their lives as a consequence of their own complacency and unwillingness to look on the inside to not only see what is hurting, but why as well as the source of such hurt? Becoming cognizant of our baggage is like that of going to the Baggage Claim Department in the Airport. As each of us stands around the conveyor belt, we look for the baggage that has our names. Ironically, have you ever been in an airport and observed someone grabbing the baggage of someone else? Have you ever been in an airport and not notice your own baggage and believing it to be the baggage of another, dismiss your own baggage?

Consequently, claiming one's own baggage enables him/her to live a liberating life when it is claimed with openness, acceptance, tenderness, grace, love, and awareness of its impact on others who might be bumped, intentionally or inadvertently, by our baggage when we are passing through GOD'S AIRPORT. Significantly, a word of caution must be expressed here: It is not a life-affirming option to abandon one's baggage without self-inspection and the inspection of others.

Consequently, For some persons, a trip to Baggage Claim this time of year will bring the unexpected closeness and love of family and friends and security, yet for other persons, this same trip to Baggage Claim will heighten the lack of closeness, potentially fuel exclusion, recapitulate loss, and deflate hope. Nevertheless, Beloved of God, you must claim your baggage as the failure to do so will result in a cosmic threat on either your life or the quality of your life! As we approach the counter of the Baggage Claim Department in GOD'S AIRPORT, let us do so with a greater degree of reverence and intimacy to GOD as we are compelled by our potential under the light of the brilliance of the CHRIST, convicted by "TRUTH" for the baggage to which we have tenaciously cleaved, and enraptured in the presence of GOD'S healing love!

In essence, the presence of light and truth not only exposed us and others to our baggage, but GOD'S love, mercy, and grace sustains while we remain and heal from the weight of carrying such baggage!

As we enter the Baggage Claim Line we hear the following: "Welcome to the Baggage Claim Department Sir/Madam: Your name is____________________? My name is JESUS and I will be assisting you with your baggage with the accompaniment of My FATHER and The HOLY SPIRIT!"

Next Week: RELEASE YOUR BAGGAGE Part 2

K. Mason
(c) 2005

Click here for Web log Page

[contains additional reflections not sent via mail and pictures]Comments may be entered in any entry of your choice
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WORD WEEK 01-01-06 NEW YEAR: NEW LENSES

HAPPY NEW YEAR

WORD WEEK 01-01-06

NEW YEAR: NEW LENSES

MARK 8:22-26 KJV

The Healing of a Blind Man at Bethsaida

22 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?" 24 He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around." 25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 Jesus sent him home, saying, "Don't go into the village.

MARK 10:46-52 KJV

Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight

46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" 48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" 49 Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. 51 "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." 52 "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

The New Year 2006 is here! You have really made it via the blessings and

challenges of the year 2005! Congratulations!

God be praised!

Beloved of GOD, now that you are standing on the precipice of a brand new Year, what do you see? How do you see this perspective differently? In what ways do you see the divine horizon with new eyes and a fresh perspective? What work are you willing to do with "self" that compels you to be a more loving, open, empathic, patient, and an unconditionally giving human being? While many persons have recommitted themselves to ongoing improvement, some persons have revised their itinerary for the New Year, others have pledged to turn over a new lease on life, and still others have carried the same weights that have denied their joy, peace, happiness, health, wholeness, and connectedness from prior years into the year 2006.

Over the past several weeks as we journeyed with Joseph and the pregnant Mary into the night in pursuit of safety, we were required to flee a place of the familiar and predictable in exchange for a place of the unfamiliar and the unpredictable; i.e., from Jerusalem to Egypt! While on this journey, many of us quietly inquired about the veracity of GOD'S plan given Mary's condition. During this journey, our conversation with both Joseph and Mary provided each of us with an opportunity and a point of reference to become more intimately acquainted with their pathos as well as the requirement of an exodus in their narrative and as well as our own personal narrative.

Moreover, we learned, as the journey continued to unfold and the landscape of Jerusalem and all that was familiar to Joseph and Mary began to fade into the background becoming a silhouette of gray and memory in the background of their existence commensurate with the landscape of Egypt that was quickly becoming magnified in the foreground of their approach and anticipation, that the spiritual journey is fraught with the requirement of change and necessary losses; i.e., repeated arrivals and departures.

Significantly, we learned that The Holy Family packed only that which was essential and were required to leave behind the both the comfort and familiarity of loved ones, family, friends, community, safety, and treasured material possessions that had helped to render meaning to their existence. In essence, they had to relinquish familiarity and embrace that which was clandestine, except to the mind and soul of GOD! As Mary, Joseph, and the Christ-Child escaped into the darkness of the night, they were about to embark upon a new day! All three were about to encounter the Divine Dynamic of GOD which implies that freedom scares and slavery secures; i.e., when the LORD does work in each of us, with each of us, and through each of us, oftentimes, we must shift from the familiar and predictable to the unfamiliar and the unpredictable. In essence, we are frequently provoked and invited to leave our Jerusalem and flee to that which is to become our Egypt!

The Divine Dynamic of GOD requires that one not only shifts his/her location [within context or beyond context], but requires that one must shift his/her perspective for a shift in location only means that we are taking the same baggage with us, but changing the place that we sit it down. In essence, wherever we go, we take ourselves.

Consequently, an amplification of the two aforementioned narratives; i.e., one in Mark 8:22-26 and the other in Mark 10:46-52 both deal with the perspective of blindness, perspective, and the requirement that he/she who desires sight be amenable to spiritual intimacy and receptive to change in order to be granted sight.

First, as we journey through the narrative of Mark 8:22-26, we become the witnessing faith community to Jesus who arrived at Bethsaida. We are pushed along with the crowd who brought the Blind Man to Jesus. The Blind Man pleaded with Jesus to touch him. Jesus responded by taking the man by the hand and led him outside of the village. Subsequently, Jesus used spittle and placed his hands over the Blind Man eyes who responded that he saw people, but they looked like trees walking around. Jesus repeated a second time what he had done moments prior and the Blind Man is no longer blind but has his sight restored.

Secondly, as we journey through the narrative of Mark 10:46-52, we become the witnessing faith community for a second time to Jesus and the disciples who were leaving the city of Jericho. Our attention is interrupted as we hear the echoes of a man who appeared homeless and blind. His name was Bartimaeus. The faith community made repeated overtures to encourage Bartimaeus to refrain from making what they believed a spectacle of himself and the community. Jesus implored to the community to cease its discouragement. Consequently, Jesus called the blind man to him who made a request for sight. Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

While both narratives clearly illustrate that intimacy with GOD undoubtedly results in the manifestation of healing and transformation in a plethora of forms, both narratives illustrate that anything new in which we as the Beloved People of GOD must embark, requires both an external and internal paradigmatic shift commensurately. The paradigmatic shift that one is invited to embrace requires NEW LENSES!

As we revisit the Advent events as well as the events that are subsequent to Advent, GOD'S People are repeatedly invited to adjust their perspective; i.e., lenses. We witnessed circumstances quickly change with the recognition of GOD'S favor as what we as a witnessing community thought that we wanted, we really did not, because far too many of us felt that the requirements petitioned more then we desired to render. An amplified look at both Sight Narratives in the text of Mark illustrates that The Divine Dynamic of GOD requires that there are three dimensions of lenses adjustment to which we must ascribe in order to see; to become empowered; to become whole. The three dimensions are like that of trifocal lenses. The three lenses are as follows: 1] Site, 2] Sight, and 3] Insight.

First, Site deals with the physiological arrangement of circumstances and our "isness." Site encapsulates the places that we live, work, worship, rest, and play. Site is our backdrop/schemea. Oftentimes, even the people of GOD can become enslaved by their relationship to site. Site is important as it sets the tone and the action for the events of our lives to unfold as well as provides a backdrop to the manner in which we ascribe meaning and understanding to our existence. Life is a journey full of beauty, joy, anticipation, surprise, paradox, and pain. During the course of our lives, many of us have witnessed joy as well as a those things that have caused us to experience profound suffering. Over the past 40 years, many of our lives have been radically transformed by such events as the Vietnam War; starvation in Somalia; 911; the War in Iraq; numerous terrorist attacks; Tsunami; Hurricane Katrina; the lists continues. Site provides us with a reference point to understand the world.

Secondly, Sight deals with that which we see and sense. We are undoubtedly impacted and inundated by the suffering and injustice that we see in the world. Marked tradegies such the assassination of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and President John F. Kennedy; the HIV epidemic; the explosion of the space shuttle are examples of the kinds of events to which we have been involuntary witnesses.

Thirdly, Insight deals with the manner in which we integrate the experience of site and sight and allow these experiences to open us to the movement of The Holy Spirit in our lives. Insight is an ongoing process, some of which can be painful, yet greatly liberating and empowering causing us to truly live!

In essence, the three dimensions that are evident in the two Sight Narratives are that of Site, Sight, and Insight. Our connection to GOD in a life affirming manner requires that we embrace all three. Both The Blind Man and Bartimaeus had to be willing to shift their physical location [Site], change their perspective of "self," others, and the world [Sight], and integrate those experiences [Insight] in order to live and become more loving! Their capacity to live was enhanced by a trifocal lenses adjustment! Have you adjusted your lenses for the New Year? The three Sights/Sites are significant as their integration in our lives affects our Attitude, Action, and Altitude like that of the interrelatedness of the Father, Son, and The Holy Spirit.

Site = Father = Attitude

Sight = Son = Action

Insight = Holy Spirit = Altitude

SEASON'S GREETINGS

K. Mason
(c) 2005

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[contains additional reflections not sent via mail and pictures]

Comments may be entered in any entry of your choice
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/i/t/i/itiswell.htm